Last week Justin Bieber posted a note on his Instagram that had a lot of mixed responses. I happen to fall on the side that agreed with what he said. I'm a big fan of Justin's music and there was a time in my life where he was my favorite person on earth. I've now grown out of this obsession but I still love his music. His note really stuck with me, though, and I wanted to lay out my thoughts on it.
In his post, Justin explains that he is done taking photos with people. People were understandably mad, but he went on to explain himself and I completely support his decision. He said he feels like a "zoo animal" and people "won't even say hi" or "recognize him as human."
I've seen countless videos of celebrities with fans and, a lot of the time, the fan won't even ask for a photo. They just position themselves into selfie stance and get their photo. If words actually are spoken, the interaction is often "can I get a selfie?" and then maybe a "thank you." And then the picture will be on Twitter and Instagram within the minute and everyone moves on with their life.
The fact of the matter is that celebrities do not owe their fans anything, except for what they pay for. If you pay for an album, that's exactly what you get, an album. Another fact is that we don't know what it's like to be under the spotlight. Trying to navigate through high school and college and life is hard enough. Navigating through fame, with millions of people watching your every move, while also trying to live life, is something else, and something that people don't get unless they're in that position. I can't condemn Justin's wish to no longer stop for photos, because I have no idea how he truly feels. I can imagine how scrutinized he feels and how difficult it must be for him to keep his sanity, but I don't fully get it and I won't get it unless I suddenly fall into his position: one of the most famous and followed people on earth.
Technology and social media are such fascinating and amazing things that I use every day of my life. I've made countless friends from Twitter and I've learned so much about social justice from it. At the same time, though, I see what it does to people who spend all their time on it. And I see how this culture is heavily influenced by how many likes people get and obsess over it. People will often ask for pictures with people that they're not even fans of, just so they could have something that says "I met so and so." Navigating yourself through a 24-hour news cycle is a huge burden on a young man and if this is what makes sense to him, he should be allowed to do so.
Setting boundaries and realizing that you don't owe people anything is something that is hard to learn, but an important thing we should all strive for. Celebrity or not, we all deserve respect and all have a right to mental health and freedom to live whatever life we choose to. Paraphrasing Justin's words, we need to make decisions we feel are fit for our growth and health, and no one on earth can make us feel bad for doing so.
